West Norriton police report string of vehicle break-ins

WEST NORRITON — Police report multiple vehicle break-ins on the unit block of North Whitehall Road during the overnight hours of July 7 and July 8.

A total of eight cars had items or money stolen from them between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

The vehicles that were broken into include a 2008 Toyota Tundra and a 2012 Toyota Highlander at the same residence that had a total of $2.50 in change removed; a 2012 Toyota Rav 4 that had $10 in spare change removed;and $2 in change was stolen from two different cars left unlocked. Additionally, a 2002 Chevrolet Express had $70 of $1 coins taken from it and a 2011 Hyundai Sonata had $5 in spare change taken from it.

The victims discovered the break-ins on the morning of July 8 and reported the incidents to police later that day.

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The owner of a 2004 Ford Escape reported an iPhone 4S was stolen from his vehicle, although the incident report stated that the victim thought he may have misplaced the phone but a GPS app on his wife’s phone showed that the phone was in the area of the 100 block of Wayne Street in Norristown.

West Norriton Police Chief Dale Mabry said police are not sure if the actor or actors who committed the thefts on July 7 are the same individual or individuals who committed a series of thefts from vehicles in the overnight hours of June 26 and Mabry said that it could be a few different individuals or different groups of people committing the burglaries.

The only solid lead police have is a surveillance video of a theft that occurred in June. Police have not said whether the person shown in the video is suspected in all of the thefts and they have not yet been able to identify the suspect.

“We’re trying to make the public aware,” Mabry said.

He said that whomever is committing the thefts is likely looking to steal anything but probably looking mostly for valuables.

“They’re looking for phones, iPods, cameras and laptops. If you don’t want it stolen, don’t keep it in your car,” Mabry said.

West Norriton police are putting more patrols in areas that have had this kind of trouble before and police are also putting undercover cars in the areas that have been hit in hopes of catching the thieves in the act. Mabry cautioned, however, that it is difficult to determine precisely where thefts are going to happen.

He said the best way for residents to protect themselves from becoming victims of these thefts is to make sure their cars are locked when they leave them for the night.

Police are asking that residents report any suspicious activity they may see.